A few of my favorite things... (Paris edition)

   1.      The language – French is such a beautiful language, and I feel transported to another world when I speak it. I started taking French in college, and it was not easy for me. Spanish was my language choice in high school, and although it has its difficulties as well (I cannot for the life of me roll my “r”s!!), perfecting French pronunciation and achieving the accent seemed near impossible. However, by the end of my semester in Paris, my accent was actually pretty dang good. Although the pronunciation still gets me, I at least don’t sound like an American when I speak … I am thrilled to be returning to France in three weeks, and I am sure my language skills will improve immensely over the next eight months! 

   2.       The art – Goodness, where do I start? Not only does Paris house some of the world’s most beautiful and famous works of art in its many museums (the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and  Musée Marmottan Monet being some of the most popular), but right outside of Paris, one can also visit Monet’s gardens, the actual real-life inspiration for his awe-inspiring impressionist works, and the Palace of Versailles’ amazing architecture and landscaping.

Monet's Gardens - Giverny

Versailles Palace & Fountains

   

   3.       The history – I have spoken a bit about Parisian history in past blog posts. Living in a fairly new country, it is an incredible difference to feel the powerful history of Paris beneath your feet through the cobblestone streets.

Walking on cobblestones

   

    4.       The sites – Everything that is available for you to do in Paris is incredible. Whether it’s picnicking on the lawn beneath the Eiffel Tower, visiting the Louvre, climbing Notre Dame, or walking down the Champs Elysees, Paris is a tourists dream.  I was surprised to learn that my French host sister, Constance, had never experienced some of these touristy trips until we became friends. She too, a Parisian, was awed by a day of playing tourist in her home city!

The imposing Notre Dame

   

   5.       The food – Other expats talk about certain foods they miss from the US while abroad (typically peanut butter and real hamburgers are key culprits), but I did not miss American food at all while abroad! Everything in France is so fresh. Parisians buy only enough groceries for a couple days at a time. They shop at individualized markets, not Walmart. Granted, there are a few supermarchés, but outdoor market stands can be seen all over as well. Everything seems to be made with the highest quality of produce available.  My host dad, Ivan, did all the cooking for our family, and every night we would start with some sort of salad and then move on to the delicious main course that he had spent the last hour or two preparing. Also on the table were his homemade baguettes – made usually during the weekend and then doled out during the week.  

My host family (Gladys, Constance, and Ivan) getting ready for dinner in their Parisian apartment in the Marais.

Desire

 Less than one month to France. My heart is yearning to be there, and yet time seems to still the closer I get to September 19. To fully explain my connection to France, perhaps I can show you some pictures that capture the essence of the beauty and exquisite wonder that exists in this full-of-history country. Because of the history, France is powerful. The history pulls at me, and makes me wonder at how the past and present are continuously and inseparably connected.

Seine River, Paris

Woods of Versailles

American Cemetery in Normandy

Normandy beach at twilight

Eiffel tower view through barbed wire

Concorde area, Paris 

Once in Paris...

Before heading down to Mende, where my school is located, I will spend a week in Paris. Since I spent a semester in Paris in 2009, went back for a week in 2010, and visited recently, April 2012, I have visited many sites. I have been thinking about what I want to see or revisit on this vacation.

Bercy Village was built as an urban-renewal project in the 12^th arrondissement of Paris. The cute village shops and restaurants were converted into their current form from renovated wine warehouses of the 19^th century.  The village is open from 11 AM – 9 PM.  *My family and I visited Bercy Village and Parc de Bercy (below) this past Spring. It was quite picturesque. My sister requested that I revisit these sites and take pictures for her!

Parc de Bercy, located near the Seine, was previously a wine hub. In the 1990s, the park was created along with Bercy Village in order to draw more business to the previous poorer eastern side of Paris. There is now a small vineyard in part of the park to preserve the history of the area. The park has beautiful gardens and walking trails, a sports stadium, artistic statues, and ponds.

The Château de Versailles was Louis XIII’s hunting lodge before it became the heart of the French government in 1682. It remained the center of the government until 1789, after the beginning of the French Revolution when the royal family was forced to return to the capital. Versailles is known as a symbol of the absolute monarchy and extravagance of the Ancien Regime and a prime example of classical French architecture. The gardens include an intricate plan of flowerbeds, fountains, sculptures and the Grand Canal. *This is my favorite place I've ever been. When I walk along the garden paths along the Grand Canal, I feel magically transported to another age.

The Château de Fontainebleau was a royal residence for eight centuries, beginning in the Mediaeval Era and continuing into the Second Empire. The palace includes three galleries, a theatre, and three chapels. The courtyards and gardens of the palace are extensive and grand, and include the Grand Parterre, the largest formal garden in Europe. *I have never been here, but I hear it leaves you with an experience similar to Versailles.

Tour Montparnasse is a Parisian skyscraper – 689 feet tall! The 56^th floor has a panoramic view of Paris, and is a great place to visit to get awesome pictures of the Eiffel Tower from up high. The 56^th floor also has a gift shop and café, so you can enjoy a snack or glass of wine while admiring the view. *This is one of my Mom's favorite tourist sites. It was, however, closed for renovation while we were there in the spring, so hopefully it will be open now!

The Bois de Boulogne is a huge park along the 16th arrondissement, which was once used as royal hunting grounds. It covers 2,090 acres – 2.5 times bigger than New York’s Central Park. The park now has wide walking and bike paths, horse-riding trails, lakes, gardens, and secluded, woodsy areas. *This park is really big! Returning to it several times, if you take different metro exits, it seems like a completely different place!

Do you have any favorite places to visit around Paris?

5 Weeks to France!

In just 5 weeks, I will be on a plane on my way to Paris, France! I will spend about a week in Paris before heading down to Mende, France, where I will be an English teaching assistant for the following 7 months. All this I am doing through a program called TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). I've already received my school placement - I will be working at the lyceé Chaptal in the small town of Mende. 

About me: I'm Amy, a 24 year-old lover of Europe and languages. I got my bachelor's degree from Occidental College in French & Spanish. During my junior year, I studied abroad in Paris during the Fall semester and Spain during the Spring semester. After I graduated in 2006, I entered the real work world, but I yearned to go abroad again. This past December I applied to be a teaching assistant through both French & Spanish programs. Although I was accepted into both, the Spanish program was cancelled due to their economy. That was actually good for me, as I then didn't have to make what would have been a very difficult decision! On September 19, my flight leaves for eight months of adventures!

About the lyceé Chaptal: The French school system still confuses me, even though I spend a semester abroad in Paris during my junior year of college. From what I can gather, the lyceé Chaptal is a high school, but also has a tourism program (similar to the American Associate's Degree), so I will be teaching 16-20 year old students. 

About the area: Mende is a rural and mountainous town of about 14,000 people in the Lozere department of France. When I was accepted into TAPIF in April, I was placed in l'académie de Montpellier. I initially (and wrongly) thought this meant I would be in the city of Montpellier, a beautiful coastal city. However, when I received my school placement a few months later, I was surprised to find out I would be teaching in Mende - the furthest city in l'académie. Mende is only about 2.5 hours by car from Montpellier, but about 4.5 using public transportation (which will be my method of travel in France). At first I was slightly disappointed, although still thrilled that I would be spending the next school year in France, no matter where! But as I emailed my contact at the lyceé, I grew much more excited for my placement, and I am actually very happy now about my placement.  

I have copied the very long, very friendly email I received from my contact at the lyceé below. It was a very pleasant surprise since the TAPIF contact had warned us that the French can be very slow to respond.

Hello !

My name is Angèle Baril and I am an English teacher in Lycee Chaptal in Mende. I am delighted to know you are coming to our school in late september ( you are supposed to start on the 1st of October , I think!). The English team is composed of Anne-Claire Robert, Odile Guigon, Sylvie Cabrolier, Emmanuelle Raoux Bonnet who will be on a training leave for the whole year and myself + someone we do not know yet and who will replace Emmanuelle. So women only for the moment! we hope to have Bernie in our team as well: let's keep our fingers crossed !

You can be accommodated in Lycée Chaptal and you pay around 150 euros a month ( you are paid around 700 or 800 euros a month) However this room (+ small bathroom) is located in the boarding school so is submitted to school rules ( no alcohol / smoking / no access to the kitchen during the week since you are supposed to eat at the canteen (breakfast / lunch / dinner) AND the head master has to agree on  keeping  you during the mid-term vacations. + someone is cleaning your room everyday so it is a host room and not really private!

You can also take a flat or a room downtown : around 350 or 400 euros a month ! or you can share with other language assistants( we should have one in Spanish and in German, the other high school called Lycée Peytavin must have one as well in English !) However the flats are not furnished most of the time and the previous assistants asked teachers for some furniture!   You can start at the lycee and then rent a room downtown.

OR you can ask at the IUFM where Sam Haswell (Peytavin's assistant) and Tina (the German assistant) were living this year ( it is a bit more expensive than the boarding school ( around 250 euros I think ) but you are more confortable and you have wifi and a kitchen inside your room (I am not sure.)

Or you can find a family with a spare room and do some baby sitting  to pay the rent........ I could find you one !

When you arrive, you can contact me as I am in charge of the English assistant, tell me in advance when you arrive so that I can pick you up : from the train station in Mende or from the airport ( Rodez is the easiest one : one hour drive from my place!) If you are going through Paris, my sister could accommodate you for one night if you are on a shoe-string budget! then you go by train through Clermont ferrand and then by bus to Mende (Paris -mende : 6 hours!!)

I believe you should arrive a few days before the 1st of october : may be around the 26th or 27th so that I could show you around !!

 We live in a rural area, Mende has only 14,000 inhabitants and this is the main "city" , at least the biggest town in our area which is called :LOZERE

You can visit the high school website ( lyceechaptalmende.fr).

Students are really nice and friendly, they will be eager to talk to you and to get to know you better : you will work with 16 to 20 year-old students ( some are studying tourism after the BACALAUREAT and so are older : 19-20...) and 12 hours a week. so plenty of time to do other things!!

You will work with English teachers mainly but we have so many projects that deal with art and poetry ( chaptal en vers in December!), energy and environment (Comenius project in April or May) and something else on the European week ( late March) but the students are going to vote in September to define the theme! You are also welcome to work with a history and geography teacher who teaches in English : Virginie Bey.

At first you will work with the English teacher in her class but when you will feel confident enough, we may split the group in two so that we have a smaller number of students and it may be easier for them to express themselves. Your main job is to make them speak and to improve their ability to interact and for them to feel comfortable with the language. You will not speak French with them so I recommend you take part in activities (sport/ arts /......) outside or inside the school   so that you can improve your level of French as well . We will talk about that later if you want.

You are welcome to ask any question you think of, I am here to help you feel at ease with this opportunity : living a French  experience!

Try to bring some things that are typical of your area so that the students can see  what you are talking about ( a flag of your favourite team ? Photos of your families / friends... / place / school / interviews of your teachers ? friends ????your favorite biscuits....)

You may introduce yourself at the beginning with a slide show ( studies / hobbies / place where you come from..) do not write too many things but put loads of maps / photos / songs... and you will talk to explain it to them ! Try to create a worksheet with questions they can complete while you are talking. We can help you with this if you wish.

I hope I answered your questions !

See you soon !

Angèle

You can see why I'm so happy with my placement! I was very stressed out about having to find a living place upon my arrival in France, so I was quite relieved that I can live at the school (for very cheap, too!). I also received an email from another English teacher at the school with more information. She was kind and thoughtful enough to mail me a package stuffed with brochures from the school and the area. Mende is in an absolutely beautiful area, but does get quite cold in the winter...oh well, an excuse to go clothes shopping!